The forum is back!  

Here are three vids of one of my bands, Bad Weather Boyz... sadly, defunct as of last year.  Zoom Q3 camera catches the stage/monitor mix, but my Sadowsky P5 "Red" comes through well enough (for better or worse...)

Born Under a Bad Sign (not quite Jack Bruce dirty)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QugFO4BG2T8

Will It Go Round In Circles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUVki1uZgrs

Vehicle (slightly abbreviated)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=165cRh-oIO4




I regularly get queries about the sound of my Sadowsky MM5, so, here's "Whitey" with my rock band.  Again, it's my Zoom Q3 set up behind the mains, right in front of me and my NV610.  Yes, I need work on my pickstyle technique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIYQVwDcg3M



Last but definitely not least, my ideal rock tone, featuring my '05 P5 "Blackie":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJY1XuatWWI

Roger's choice for the NYC basses is the Dunlop Dual Design.  FWIW, I think this is the best locking system: in a decade of heavy use I have never encountered a problem, and the buttons work just fine even with unlocked straps.

The recessed Dunlops have an elegant look, but if you don't have a locked strap then you are out of luck.  And I've never thought that strap buttons were unattractive anyway.

I do not recommend the Schaller system.  It's seriously flawed, IMO/IME.

Since I'm not very interested in playing guitar, and if by chops you not only mean technique, but musicianship, tone, taste, feel, etc... I'd choose Garry Tallent, Willie Weeks and James Jamerson.

+1.  Beautifully put, outstanding choices.

I love the look but keeps me limited as to where I can play on the strings so I would rather not have.

This sums it up for me, too.

Guys like James Jamerson and Will Lee sound great with the bell cover, but I'm just me!

As with most anything else, it's personal preference.  I've tried reverse, but prefer standard for the traditional P-bass timbre: I like the way the upper strings sing, while the lower ones are big and phat.  My Sadowsky P5 has no J pickup, but I have no trouble getting punch from the B-E-A strings.

Yes, you'll get even more punch from the low strings if you reverse, but the tradeoff (as you noticed) is less phatness.

If we're talking PJ basses: reverse PJ gives a more J-style 'pop' to the upper strings for slap funk playing, but again, there's less girth on the lower strings.  Standard PJ restores girth down low, but some feel that the 'pop' on the top strings is thinner.  Of course Vic Wooten's #1 bass is standard PJ and he's known to do some popping now and then.  Yes, he plays Fodera, not Sadowsky, but there's a certain vibe to each pickup placement regardless of brand.

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